Boise State coach Chris Petersen admits dynamics of matchup with Michigan State makes for 'tough sledding'

View full sizeAP PhotoBoise State coach Chris Peterson, here during practice this month, is facing perhaps toughest opening game test in his tenure with the Broncos, considering the opponent, the venue and his own squad riddled with inexperience.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen knows what he's up against this Friday. He's done this before.

Well, not quite this.

Among the most impressive aspects of his 73-6 record in six seasons as the Broncos head coach, is the last three season openers — wins over Oregon, then essentially at Virginia Tech and Georgia, all ranked in the teens, as is Michigan State entering this season.

But none of those games were played in an away campus venue, like Spartan Stadium, which hosts the Broncos against Michigan State this Friday night.

And none were played without former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore — now with the Detroit Lions — and a bevy of defensive linemen who've made their way into NFL camps, as well.

"I think you can compare them to Virginia Tech," Petersen said Sunday, via web-stream, of No. 13-ranked Michigan State, perhaps of similar mold to the No. 10 Hokies of two years ago. "I think the first thing you think of with Virginia Tech is how well coached they are on defense. The next thing I think about is how hard those guys play on defense. And the third thing is, they're pretty good players and they're playing hard and well coached.

"I think you've got a really, really good opponent here, as good as any of those teams that we've played in the past. Now we're truly going into someone's home court. And then the fact that we've got some new guys, a lot of new guys. Those three things, that's tough sledding.

"We're getting challenged, and that's a good thing," Petersen continued. "Because it's going to be, I don't know if wake-up call is the right word, because these kids know, they're not dumb ... but it'll be a good chance to say, 'OK, this is where we are right now and this is where we go from here.'"